A processing apparatus which processes a processed object in an airtight state is known. For example, an apparatus is known which carries out a process for loading and melting a silicon material which is a processed object into and in a processing apparatus and solidifying the melted silicon material to fabricate single crystal silicon which is a material for a semiconductor substrate. In the fabrication process of single crystal silicon, the inside of the processing apparatus is placed in a special atmosphere different from that in the open air. For example, the inside of the processing apparatus is placed in an inactive gas atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere.
Then, also a processed object loading apparatus for loading a processed object from the outside into the inside of the processing apparatus is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
The processed object loading apparatus (silicon granulation supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a hopper, a feeder, a housing, a quartz port and a bellows. The hopper is provided for accommodating silicon granulation into the inside of the housing having an inactive gas atmosphere, and the feeder for feeding a processed object (silicon granulation) is provided below the hopper. The quartz port is connected to the housing through the bellows. The quartz port is partly inserted in the inside of a processing apparatus (heating furnace) and communicated with the inside of the heating furnace. The inside of the silicon granulation supplying apparatus and the heating furnace is placed in an airtight state. In particular, the inside is placed in an inactive gas atmosphere. More particularly, the inside of the silicon granulation supplying apparatus and the heating furnace is placed in the same inactive gas atmosphere. Consequently, silicon granulation can be loaded from the hopper into the inside of the heating through the quartz port in an airtight state (inactive gas atmosphere).
Further, in the processed object loading apparatus (silicon granulation supplying apparatus), a lower end portion of the quartz port which is a path for guiding silicon granulation to a pot in the inside of the processing apparatus is fixed to a peripheral portion of the pot so as not to interfere with single crystal silicon drawn up from the pot.
Also a processed object loading apparatus (mold charge supplying apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a basic configuration similar to that of the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. The processed object loading apparatus (mold charge supplying apparatus) includes a hopper, a trough, a vibration section, a mold charge loading chamber and a shooter. The mold charge loading chamber is placed in a vacuum atmosphere and the hopper for accommodating a processed object (mold charge) is provided in the inside of the mold charge loading chamber. The trough for feeding a mold charge and the vibration section are provided below the hopper. The shooter is partly inserted in the inside of a processing apparatus (vacuum chamber) and is communicated with the inside of the vacuum chamber. The mold charge loading chamber and the vacuum chamber are configured so as to be sealed from the outside air, and the inside of the chambers is placed in an airtight state. In particular, the inside of the chambers is placed in a vacuum atmosphere. More particularly, the inside of the mold charge supplying apparatus and the vacuum chamber is placed in the same vacuum atmosphere. Consequently, a mold charge can be loaded from the hopper to the inside of the vacuum chamber through the shooter in an airtight state (vacuum atmosphere).